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3, Charles Woodson: Cornerback, 1997 Heisman Trophy Winner
The Heisman trophy is an award that has been dominated by offensive players, so you can imagine the excitement when, in 1997, Charles Woodson became the first and only primarily defensive player to take home the award.
Playing as a cornerback for the University of Michigan, Woodson was a prodigy in the true sense of the word ahead of his selection.
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Having recorded seven interceptions in the 1997 college season, Woodson’s athleticism attracted the Oakland Raiders, who selected him with the fourth pick of the 1998 NFL Draft.
An 18-year career followed, in which Woodson became a reference point in his position, as well as shining as a safety at times.
He won a single Super Bowl with the Green Bay Packers in 2010, as well as winning the Defensive Player of the Year award in 2009.
To end his career, Woodson would return to Oakland and spend three seasons there, not missing a single game.
He caught 65 interceptions in his NFL career, which is the fifth most in league history and also holds the record for the most career defensive touchdowns with 13.
As a defensive player, Woodson couldn’t have achieved any more, at least from an individual perspective. He more than lived up to his potential and proved the Heisman voters right.
2, Roger Staubach: Quarterback, 1963 Heisman Trophy Winner
It’s difficult to assess Roger Staubach's collegiate career because it was too different a system to the one we now recognize.
In his 1963 Heisman winning season, Staubach threw for just 1,474 yards and seven touchdowns and is the last player from a military academy to win the award.
Selected as a tenth-round selection in the 1964 NFL Draft by the Dallas Cowboys, Staubach was also selected by the Kansas City Chiefs in the 1964 AFL Draft.
His legacy is that of one of the first modern stars of the sport in the sense we would recognize today.
He retired in March 1980 with the highest career passing rating in NFL history and was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1985.
His scoring drives were iconic, as was his value to the Cowboys setting themselves up as the most popular sports team in the United States of America.
The term Hail Mary pass is even a legacy of Staubach’s career, as he uttered a Hail Mary prayer as the he threw a last-second 50-yard pass in a 1975 playoff game against the Minnesota Vikings.
In 2010, Staubach was named as the no.1 Dallas Cowboy of all time by the Dallas Morning News, highlighting just what he meant to the city.
Staubach won two Super Bowl titles with Dallas, as well as being the MVP in the 1971 Super Bowl win over Miami.
1, Barry Sanders: Running Back, 1988 Heisman Trophy Winner
No player is more synonymous with a franchise than Barry Sanders is with the Detroit Lions.
His 1988 Heisman Trophy came after a stunning season in which he rushed for 2,628 yards and 37 touchdowns.
This brought to an end a collegiate career with Oklahoma State that saw him rush for 3,797 yards in total and score 52 rushing touchdowns.
Sanders was prolific, you just couldn’t tackle him and he was set to be one of the most desirable players in the 1989 draft.
He beat Troy Aikman to the Heisman in 1988, showing just how impactful he was for Oklahoma State.
Detroit became his home and Sanders was an instant hit, rushing for 1,470 yards in his rookie year and scoring 14 touchdowns.
He would play for a total of 10 seasons in the NFL, leading the league in rushing yards on four occasions, including a stunning 1997 season in which he rushed for 2,053 yards and won the MVP award.
He was the Offensive Player of the Year in both 1994 and 1997 and is the greatest player to ever play for the Lions.
Sanders had no frills, he was just productive. There is a reason why he is one of the most widely popular players in NFL history, he just did his job and did it stunningly well.
The #3 pick in 1989 never had a season in which he rushed for less than 1,100 yards, and he has the most seasons with 1,500 or more yards with him achieving that feat five times.
Sanders is the greatest running back to ever play the game, and his Heisman Trophy award was a perfect prediction of the success he would have in the NFL.
